Lesson Topic:Grammatical conventions appropriate for a factual recount.
Learning Area(s): Learning about Reading & Writing
Unit Aim or Outcome: The unit "British Colonisation of Australia" aims to enable students to use a variety of media to investigate about the given topic and to construct a multimodal text that presents their findings in a structured and coherent manner. Focus Outcome:Change and ContinuityCCS2.1 Describes events and actions related to the British colonisation of Australia and assesses changes and consequences.
Lesson Outcome: English Outcomes: RS2.8 Discusses the text structure of a range of text types and the grammatical features that are characteristic of those text types.
Resources: Interactive WhiteboardLaminated card with sentences/phrases extracted from a variety of different text typesMetal paperclips glued to back of laminated cards'Fishing rod' with magnetic object connected to endAustralian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2001) Convicts and the British Colonieshttp://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/convicts/
Lesson Outline: To gauge the students’ understanding of grammatical features constituting a factual recount. In doing so, students will come to realise the need for consistency of grammar in a formal text such as this. Additionally, the students’ will engage in an interactive medium so as to identify and manipulate the grammatical features of an array of sentences in a variety of contexts, relevant to the featured text type. Manipulation of a variety of sentences will encourage self-editing skills so as to develop themselves as proactive and competent writers.
Introduction (10 minutes): Standing around in a circle, students will each take a chance to 'fish' for a phrase or sentence extracted from a particular text type. Students will read out their sentence to the class and using their prior knowledge will determine whether the text is derived from a factual or fictional text type and using prior knowledge of fictional and factual texts students can determine where they think their sentence/phrase may be from (e.g. narrative, information report, recount, procedure etc.). NOTE: a short list of the selected text types will be written on the board for greater ease. Ask:What makes you think this sentence is from that particular text type? Why not a... (say another text type to stimulate thinking)? How might this sentence appear/be used we were using it in a factual recount text? Discuss prior knowledge on the grammatical features of a factual recount, or any factual text type.
Teaching / Learning Activity (30 minutes):
Students will: Using similar thinking strategies to introduction activity, students will analyse the text presented and using predicting strategies will contemplate its purpose and genre based on the characteristics. Each child will take it in turns to read aloud the factual text presented. This will enable students to clarify whether their inital prediction are still valid, and why or why not so.
Students will use the interactive whiteboard and pens to select various features of the text type that are characteristic to the genre. Students will discuss the purpose of using this particular grammatical feature within this text (e.g. past tense versus future or present tense)
Students will identify and manipulate a variety of phrases and sentences extracted from the text. With collaborationwith their peers, one student at a time will come up and manipulate the sentence into the appropriate tense for the text type using computer pens. The student will insert the sentence back into the original paragraph and read aloud. In ding so they will determine if they have correctly used the verb in the past tense. Peers will confirm.
After students have identified a number of instances of past tense in the text and have manipulated a few, they will move onto the next grammatical feature: pronouns, using the same strategy as above. Students will identify the function of the pronoun in the text and take turns at coming up to the board and manipulating extracted sentences to demonstrate the appropriate use of an array of different pronouns, using various options available (previously made by the teacher).
Students will identify the use of time connectives and conjunctions in the text and discuss the value of these in a factual (historical) recount. Students will manipulate a sentence and come up with another possible connective for that sentence.
Teachers will: Have modelled factual recount displayed (Convicts and the British Colonies)onto Interactive whiteboard. Explain that on the whiteboard is a particular text type on our related unit topic. Ask: As you look briefly at this text, what text type do you think this text might be? Do you think it is a factual or fictional text? What is it that makes you think that? Selecting one child at a time to read aloud the text presented students will confirm or change their inital predictions. Together with the students, the teacher will select words, phrases and sentences on the interactive whiteboard to discuss their purpose in the text. Ask: What tense do you think the author has chosen to use for this factual recount text? Select a word or phrase that makes you think this. Why do you think he has used this particular tense? Do you think it would be possible to use another? Why? Why not? On a separate file and using the cutting tool, cut out sentences that have blanked out (by the teacher) the verbs and ask students to write the correct use of the verb using past tense so that it fits into the text type. Ask: Read your sentence now in the paragraph. How do you think it sounds? Do you think your verb is now in the past tense? Why? Why not?
Ask students to come up in the same way as above and select the appropriate use of the pronouns for the context of the text. Ask:Why do you think we need pronouns in a text like this? or What do you think the text would sound like if we didn't use prounouns? (demonstrate by reading an example) What is it doing to the noun? Discuss etymology of word pronoun.
Draw the students attention to time connectives and conjunctions using the interactive whiteboard. Ask a students not yet had a go to come up and select another connective. Discuss with students the relevance of using time connectives and conjunctions in a text such as this.
Concluding Strategy (10 minutes):
In pairs, students will collaborate with one another to complete an array of blanked out sentences (extracted from the factual recount) that will appear on the interactive whiteboard. The sentence will be read out by the teacher and the students will be given 30 seconds each to work out the appropriate option for the sentence within a factual recount. These will include: tense, pronouns/particular nouns, followed by cloze passage in which the time connectives have been blanketed out and the students must collaborate and deduce an appropriate word for the sentence. Teacher will take these sheets up for assessment at the end. Reiterate to the students that they should use strategies like this when editing their own work for their factual recount so that it flows just like this text displayed today.
Assessment: The students will be formatively assessed on their progress throughout the session through observation and interaction methods, particularly in their prior knowledge to direct discussion and in their ability to identify and manipulate an array of sentences in the context of a factual recount and how the use of grammar differentiates across different text types. In the developing and concluding components of the lesson students will be assessed on their understanding of the relevance of the grammatical conventions for a factual recount and the need for consistency of these conventions throughout a formalized text type. However, the students will be formally assessed on their ability to use correct grammatical features, characteristic of a factual recount, in the drafted and final copies of their multimodal presentations. This will identify the students ability to identify and recognise appropriate and inappropriate use of grammar in the given context.
Any special considerations or contingency plans: There will be an array of simple and more complex sentences in the introductory activity to suit students of varying ability types.Students displaying problems with fine motor skills will benefit from using the Interactive Whiteboard and large laminated card activity which enables students to interact more effectively in the learning experience with greater ease. This media enables the enlargement of text for children with poor sight and as a result students with such abilities will find it easier to write.
Self-reflection: Was the lesson successful in meeting established outcomes? Was the lesson engaging for the student?
Did the students understand the concepts explored throughout the lesson?
Did the student understand the relevance of the lesson?
What aspects of this lesson would I modify? How might I approach this?
The unit "British Colonisation of Australia" aims to enable students to use a variety of media to investigate about the given topic and to construct a multimodal text that presents their findings in a structured and coherent manner.
Focus Outcome:Change and ContinuityCCS2.1 Describes events and actions related to the British colonisation of Australia and assesses changes and consequences.
English Outcomes:
RS2.8 Discusses the text structure of a range of text types and the grammatical features that are characteristic of those text types.
Students will use the interactive whiteboard and pens to select various features of the text type that are characteristic to the genre. Students will discuss the purpose of using this particular grammatical feature within this text (e.g. past tense versus future or present tense)
Students will identify and manipulate a variety of phrases and sentences extracted from the text. With collaborationwith their peers, one student at a time will come up and manipulate the sentence into the appropriate tense for the text type using computer pens. The student will insert the sentence back into the original paragraph and read aloud. In ding so they will determine if they have correctly used the verb in the past tense. Peers will confirm.
After students have identified a number of instances of past tense in the text and have manipulated a few, they will move onto the next grammatical feature: pronouns, using the same strategy as above. Students will identify the function of the pronoun in the text and take turns at coming up to the board and manipulating extracted sentences to demonstrate the appropriate use of an array of different pronouns, using various options available (previously made by the teacher).
Students will identify the use of time connectives and conjunctions in the text and discuss the value of these in a factual (historical) recount. Students will manipulate a sentence and come up with another possible connective for that sentence.
Together with the students, the teacher will select words, phrases and sentences on the interactive whiteboard to discuss their purpose in the text. Ask: What tense do you think the author has chosen to use for this factual recount text? Select a word or phrase that makes you think this. Why do you think he has used this particular tense? Do you think it would be possible to use another? Why? Why not?
On a separate file and using the cutting tool, cut out sentences that have blanked out (by the teacher) the verbs and ask students to write the correct use of the verb using past tense so that it fits into the text type. Ask: Read your sentence now in the paragraph. How do you think it sounds? Do you think your verb is now in the past tense? Why? Why not?
Ask students to come up in the same way as above and select the appropriate use of the pronouns for the context of the text. Ask: Why do you think we need pronouns in a text like this? or What do you think the text would sound like if we didn't use prounouns? (demonstrate by reading an example) What is it doing to the noun? Discuss etymology of word pronoun.
Draw the students attention to time connectives and conjunctions using the interactive whiteboard. Ask a students not yet had a go to come up and select another connective. Discuss with students the relevance of using time connectives and conjunctions in a text such as this.
In pairs, students will collaborate with one another to complete an array of blanked out sentences (extracted from the factual recount) that will appear on the interactive whiteboard. The sentence will be read out by the teacher and the students will be given 30 seconds each to work out the appropriate option for the sentence within a factual recount. These will include: tense, pronouns/particular nouns, followed by cloze passage in which the time connectives have been blanketed out and the students must collaborate and deduce an appropriate word for the sentence. Teacher will take these sheets up for assessment at the end. Reiterate to the students that they should use strategies like this when editing their own work for their factual recount so that it flows just like this text displayed today.
The students will be formatively assessed on their progress throughout the session through observation and interaction methods, particularly in their prior knowledge to direct discussion and in their ability to identify and manipulate an array of sentences in the context of a factual recount and how the use of grammar differentiates across different text types. In the developing and concluding components of the lesson students will be assessed on their understanding of the relevance of the grammatical conventions for a factual recount and the need for consistency of these conventions throughout a formalized text type. However, the students will be formally assessed on their ability to use correct grammatical features, characteristic of a factual recount, in the drafted and final copies of their multimodal presentations. This will identify the students ability to identify and recognise appropriate and inappropriate use of grammar in the given context.
Was the lesson successful in meeting established outcomes?
Was the lesson engaging for the student?
Did the students understand the concepts explored throughout the lesson?
Did the student understand the relevance of the lesson?
What aspects of this lesson would I modify? How might I approach this?